truthful

adjective

truth·​ful ˈtrüth-fəl How to pronounce truthful (audio)
Synonyms of truthfulnext
: telling or disposed to tell the truth
a truthful witness
truthfully adverb
truthfulness noun

Examples of truthful in a Sentence

We were not entirely truthful with her about where we went last night. I like keeping the house clean but, to be truthful, I hate vacuuming.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Make sure to be truthful when completing any assessments. Joyce E. A. Russell, Forbes.com, 22 May 2026 And without liability, even thorough auditors won’t be able to identify whether a business’s claims about AI are truthful. Suvrat Dhanorkar, The Conversation, 18 May 2026 For Gilles, the mission was to be as truthful as possible, to find something in himself that was that guy — Jean Moulin — and keep a certain simplicity. Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 17 May 2026 Our shows are uncomfortably authentic and truthful. Tom Smyth, Vulture, 7 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for truthful

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1567, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of truthful was circa 1567

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Cite this Entry

“Truthful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/truthful. Accessed 27 May. 2026.

Kids Definition

truthful

adjective
truth·​ful ˈtrüth-fəl How to pronounce truthful (audio)
: telling or being in the habit of telling the truth
truthfully adverb
truthfulness noun

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